The Lion
The sun shone brightly on this beautiful day in Canaan. It did not scorch the land, but merely gave the day a pleasant temperature. It would have been a fine day to go swimming with his brothers, but Jesse's youngest son couldn't have gone swimming even if he'd wanted to. Today, he was responsible for watching his father's flock. The entire day would be devoted to attending to the small dangers and fears of sheep. His tasks were to make sure there was a ready source of drinking water, occasionally check the sheep for parasites, and most importantly, protect the sheep from various wild animals.
As David's sleepy eyes glanced over his flock once more, he saw sheep taking part in their various daily activities. The majority of them grazed, filling themselves with the fresh green grass. Several sheep stood at the edge of the small watering hole, drinking the sweet, clear water. Even a few lambs could be seen playfully chasing each other across the open field. The whole scene was so common and agreeable that it was making it very hard for the shepherd to remain awake.
Then, David heard a noise that brought him to a heightened state of awareness. It was the loud bleating of a far off sheep. Not the pleasant bleating commonly heard from the flock, but the cry of a little sheep in immediate danger. David's heart began to beat at an extremely fast rate; his hair stood on end, and his nerves tingled. He picked up his staff and rose to his feet; though it felt like his stomach had sunk to his knee's and his heart was in his throat. Slowly at first, but quickly increasing in speed, his feet carried him in the direction the noise had come from. Then he heard it again and now he knew for sure what that noise meant.
Just as the lamb had cried out for the second time, David had seen what he feared might be the reason behind the cries. A large lion had one of his sheep in its jaws and it was carrying the bleating sheep off. He knew that the poor little sheep had most likely already been seriously injured and if he did not rescue it soon the ravenous lion would break its neck. David followed the bleating sounds at a fast pace, but it took him quite some time to close the gap between him and the lion.
As David gained ground on the lion, he began to ask himself what he planned on doing once he actually caught up with the ferocious creature. He realized that all he had was his shepherd's staff, the small knife in his belt, and the small short club hanging about his waist. He began to note the size and strength of the lion's body. He saw that it was a healthy young lion whose coat still had most of its sheen. The lion's muscles were like steel rippling as he picked up his massive paws and moved further forward. The lion finally put the terrified sheep down, which David knew to mean time was running out.
David, who had almost closed the gap between himself and the lion, slowed down immensely in an attempt to sneak up on the lion. Then a loud snap was heard as David's foot fell small branch, breaking it in two. Immediately the lion turned its head towards him. David used this moment to strike out with his staff, and hit the lion near its right eye. In response the irritated lion backed up a couple of paces. David reached down and picked up the sheep. His heart leaped. The sheep was still alive and appeared unharmed.
The moment of rejoicing came to a sudden stop as David realized the lion still needed to be dealt with. He looked up and leapt out of the way just in time to avoid the lion's blow. He ran a few paces and set the sheep down behind a boulder. He again looked up and barely managed to avoid the lion's outstretched paw. It was at this moment the lion, who was becoming frustrated with David's dodging abilities, decided to roar.
Fear swept over David. There was no way that he could defeat a raging lion with a small club. All hope lost, he began to plan an escape. Then he heard a voice. Not an audible voice, but a clear voice in his mind. It told him, "the battle is yours." David's thoughts raced. "How could this battle be mine? How could I defeat a lion? I'm just a boy." The voice spoke again saying, "Yes, you are only a boy, and cannot win this on your own power, but I will fight this battle for you." Meanwhile, the lion, sensing David's distracted state, charged towards him one more time. Just as the lion was about to collide with David, he moved aside. His choice was made; he would trust the Lord. Before the lion could rebound from the missed tackle, David turned and grabbed his mane. He raised his club and struck the lion. The strike was harder than David should have been able to manage at such a close range. Instantly the lion went limp. David pulled the small knife from his belt and slit the lion's throat to ensure its death.